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Jean's Silversmiths

Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 1 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West

In the 1930's, when Armand Guior saw Fredric March steal a pair of candlesticks from Radio Music Hall dressed as Jean Valjean from the play Les Miserables, he knew exactly what he would name his silver shop. Since then, Jean's has sold, repaired, and shined precious metals. After moving to its 45th street location in 1958, not much has changed. The owners continue to seek out inventory from estate sales, and before anything is sold, "it is polished up perfectly, removing all dents and scratches, always ready to leave the store looking brand new."

Jean's is famous for one of the largest collections of sterling silver in the country. Just as it was when it opened during President Eisenhower's second term, the shop is cluttered from floor to ceiling with jewelry, serving pieces, Judaica, silver flatware, and – of course – candlesticks. In a set of filing drawers labeled by scotch-taped pieces of paper, Jean's boasts over 2,000 different silver patterns - some English, American, Mexican, and Danish. Most of these pieces are from the twentieth century, but Jean's also has an impressive collection of silver from as early as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Jose, a long-time salesperson, commented that so much on 45th had changed over the years, but, he declared proudly, "Jean's has remained the same." Those staff members within earshot chuckled and nodded their approval, adding, "Walking into Jean's is like walking into Old New York."

Also participating in the conversation was Dave Shaw, the son-in-law of Jean's original owner. Noting that "it's uncommon to see silver shops nowadays," Dave speculated that the fact that they are conveniently located on a side street between two major tourist hot spots – Madison Avenue and Times Square – has undoubtedly continued to bring in a constant flow of customers.

The staff went on to explain that Jean's has become a fixture among New York's ever-changing 45th street. From behind the sales counter, Jose shared a heartwarming story that summarizes the niche that the shop has made for itself: a woman well into her nineties walked into the store recently, with her twenty-something great-granddaughter in hand. Clapping a ring box down onto the counter, she told Jose that it had been bought in Jean's and had served as her engagement ring some seven decades ago and now needed to be re-sized. She then turned to her great granddaughter with a smile and said, "It's going to be her wedding ring now."

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Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 1 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 2 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 3 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 4 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 5 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 6 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 7 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 8 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 9 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 10 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 11 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 12 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 13 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 14 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 15 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 16 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 17 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 18 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 19 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 20 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 21 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 22 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 23 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West
Jean's Silversmiths   LOST GEM 24 China Glass Silver Jewelry Restoration and Repairs Midtown West

More Jewelry nearby

Lost Gem
Delicate Gem Corp 1 Jewelry Family Owned undefined

Delicate Gem Corp

After almost thirty years in the Diamond District, Delicate Gem has made a name for itself among the several thousand other businesses that crowd 47th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. An Armenian family that had lived in Turkey and worked in the diamond industry before coming to the States, the Minnetyans have been in the gem business for generations. When Arthur Minnetyan first came to Manhattan, and founded Delicate Gem, he built up a reputation among the other hard-wheeling diamond merchants by virtue of his expertise. The whole family became involved, as was common in the Diamond District, and has remained so. One afternoon, I enjoyed sitting and chatting with the family and learning more about their passion for diamonds, as it was here that my husband bought me a cherished bracelet a number of years ago. After his father, Arthur, passed away, son Ari took over the shop and has dedicated himself to selling and crafting only the best pieces of jewelry for his clients. Though he had originally planned on becoming an accountant after graduating college, his father's death drove him to come back home and carry on the family business. Ari's dedication to Delicate Gem exemplifies how ingrained the diamond business has become in the lives of diamond dealers and manufacturers on 47th. To those who work in the Diamond District, jewelry is much more than an accessory – it is a link to one's heritage and family that is time honored. As a Gemological Institute of America certified gemologist, Ari explained to me how diamonds were rated – the 4 Cs: color, cut, clarity, carat – and how he was able to help customers both pick out their favorite stone and create the jewelry on-site. On a street where competition is tough and a buyer can be overwhelmed, Ari and his family pride themselves on their honesty in the business. They, like many of the merchants surrounding their store, seek to establish relationships with clients and to gain their trust so that they may become customers for life.

More places on 45th Street

Lost Gem
Beer Culture 1 Bars Beer Bars undefined

Beer Culture

Beer Culture opened in the summer of 2013, offering beer, cider, whiskey, and bottled sodas. Customers can come in to pick up a bottle – or growler - of beer to take home, or grab a seat at the bar to chat with the friendly staff while noshing on some charcuterie. The record player behind the bar is usually going and if the owner, Matt Gebhard, and bar manager, Peter Malfatti, are around, they are bound to strike up a conversation and offer to guide patrons through their extensive beer selection. The beers are organized by region. The first door of their huge, glass-front fridge is full of beers from New York State, while the second is full of east coast beers, and the third and fourth is full of central and west coast beers. A bit further back into the room is their international fridge, proudly boasting selections from the UK, France, and three shelves worth of Belgian beers. For patrons who just want a nice, cold, familiar beer, grandpa's fridge is the place to go. Customers often mistake the old Kelvinator across from the bar as a prop and are always surprised when they open it up and realize that it works and that they recognize all of the brands inside of it. Matt included grandpa's fridge because he thinks that there is a place for all beers (except lite ones, which are not sold on the Beer Culture premises) and that some brands hold emotional value for customers. True to its name, the beers in the old Kelvinator are those that Matt had seen in his own grandfather's fridge growing up. Matt's first true exposure to beer and its culture was during a year he spent studying abroad in Belgium. When he came back home to upstate NY, Matt was nineteen and decided to pursue his newfound passion by working in a local Belgian brewery. He remained here for a few years until he met Peter, his future bar manager, who was living in Rochester, NY. Before opening their own place, Matt came to Manhattan and worked in a Belgian bar in Midtown. Although he enjoyed it, Matt told us that he wanted to do things his own way and fulfill his vision of what a bar should be. The bar that these two terrific guys opened is one that is dedicated to the simple, comfortable and unpretentious beverage that they adore. Nestled between Eighth and Ninth Avenue in a residential part of 45th Street, Beer Culture, is a hybrid bar and bottle shop offering its customers over 500 different types of beer. Although at the time of this write-up, Beer Culture had been around for less than a year, both Matt and Peter already feel like part of the block. As Matt stated, "We pride ourselves in being an establishment of beer nerds, not beer snobs. "

Lost Gem
Butter 1 American undefined

Butter

After eleven years in her Noho location, Executive Chef and Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli opened Butter in the Cassa Hotel, a Midtown twin to her well-known restaurant. Shaped by Guarnaschelli's own travels and time spent working abroad, the attractive dark wood restaurant with comfortable booth seating, is American but with the requisite global touches and ingredients expected of fine dining. When Chef Guarnaschelli isn't filming, she is in the kitchen, on the line, adding her fine touch into every aspect of the cooking. As members of her staff shared with us, Alex is dedicated to bringing fresh and simple ingredients together in beautifully crafted dishes. On a rare and special night out with just my husband and daughter, I could not pass up the opportunity to bring my butter-loving girl to this dining experience. Since she has always considered the dairy treat to be its own food group, I had the highest hopes for the meal - particularly the bread basket - which did not disappoint. The warm Pullman-style rolls with the house-made butters (a plain with a hint of sour cream for richness, and an herb that was light and lovely) were out of this world. All three of us agreed we could leave satisfied just from that - and a spicy cocktail, of course (the Ghost Margarita) But we powered ahead sharing the burrata salad. The creamy burrata with garden-fresh tomatoes was divine and the ribeye steaks that my husband and daughter ordered were cooked perfectly and sat atop smashed purple potatoes. And, as a vegetarian, I always keep an eye out for restaurants working to develop unique, hearty main courses. The charred coconut milk-soaked cauliflower was much appreciated. We finished things off, in case one thought we had already indulged ourselves sufficiently, with the raspberry beignets accompanied by a vanilla dipping sauce. If the name of this restaurant alone does not have one's mouth watering, I am sure that it is now!